J. Edgar

Synopsis

Biopic of J. Edgar Hoover told by Hoover as he recalls his career for a biography. Early in his career, Hoover fixated on Communists, anarchists and any other revolutionary taking action against the U.S. government. He slowly builds the agency's reputation, becoming the sole arbiter of who gets hired and fired. One of his hires is Clyde Tolson who is quickly promoted to Assistant Director and would be Hoover's confidant and companion for the rest of Hoover's life. Hoover's memories have him playing a greater role in the many high profile cases the FBI was involved in - the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the arrest of bank robbers like John Dillinger - and also show him to be quite adept at manipulating the various politicians he's worked with over his career, thanks in large part to his secret files.

Biopic of J. Edgar Hoover told by Hoover as he recalls his career for a biography. Early in his career, Hoover fixated on Communists, anarchists and any other revolutionary taking action against the U.S. government. He slowly builds the agency's reputation, becoming the sole arbiter of who gets hired and fired. One of his hires is Clyde Tolson who is quickly promoted to Assistant Director and would be Hoover's confidant and companion for the rest of Hoover's life. Hoover's memories have him playing a greater role in the many high profile cases the FBI was involved in - the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the arrest of bank robbers like John Dillinger - and also show him to be quite adept at manipulating the various politicians he's worked with over his career, thanks in large part to his secret files.

Cast

Tech specs

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by ReinaMissy 8 / 10

What is Truth?

The infamous words spoken by Pilate to Jesus of Nazareth come to mind
when one ponders the life of John Edgar Hoover. Was he a genius or a
tyrant? A patriot or a dictator? A cross dresser or an uptight man with
no sex life? Nobody knows for certain, and director Clint Eastwood does
not offer a definitive answer to any of these questions, which is
exactly as it should be. Life is rarely cut-and-dried, but moviegoers
seem to have forgotten that fact in the face of media that state
speculation as fact on a regular basis.

I find it not only surprising, but distressing, that a major criticism
from those critics who panned the film is the lack of closure on
Hoover's private life. Unless they are truly obtuse, they must realize
that no film could possibly do such a thing, since his files were
destroyed at his own bidding. All is speculation, and a fine
speculation it is. Leonardo DiCaprio is superb (as usual) in the title
role, never revealing more cards then he chooses to at any given
moment. He receives fine support from Armie Hammer as Clyde Tolson,
Hoover's Second in Command/Rumored Lover, and Naomi Watts as his
endlessly loyal private secretary Helen Gandy. At a time when "red
fever" ran high, Hoover's relentlessly tightening control on government
investigations is shown in flashbacks that only underscore how supreme
power can corrupt even the noblest of intentions.

In the end, the film answers none of the questions that seem so
important to the very critics that disliked it, but in my humble
opinion, a well made film is one that inspires debate or discussion
rather than simply hand down a definitive 'this is the way it was' with
an imperious gavel. With "J Edgar", Eastwood and his cast have
succeeded well.

Reviewed by qq107 8 / 10

Great but not without its flaws

Just got back from a screening in Vancouver~ Thanks to Clint Eastwood, it was almost free (only one dollar per ticket) I will try to keep my review spoiler-free~

Personally, I thought it was a great film. Not exceptional in anyway, but still great. The tone reminds me a bit of Changeling. Makes sense since the stories are from the same period. I have to say, with Eastwood, Leonardo DiCaprio and Dustin Lance Black all on board, I was kind of expecting something a bit more than this.

I thought the weakest link was the script. It was interesting, but flawed. Also, the story was not very intriguing. Having watched Milk (also written by Black) and really liked how the story unfolded, I was expecting a great story about how J. Edgar Hoover rose to power and how he gradually transformed into the monster he became in the end. But instead, the story was told by shifting back and forth in time countless times, which at some point made me feel emotionally detached from the story and the characters. The bad bad makeup (I guess we can all agree on that~) was also very distracting. The elderly characters looked like wax figures to me.

That said, I really LOVED Eastwood's score. It was moving and really fit the mood of the film. His direction and camera-work were masterful as always. Leo was very convincing as J. Edgar, although I keep on seeing bits and pieces of Howard Hughes in his performance. Judi Dench and Naomi Watts were both great, however the same thing can not be said about Armie Hammer. I thought he was much better in The Social Network. There were a few good moments between him and Leo, but his performance as the elderly Clyde Tolson was darn right awful. I blame the horrible makeup.

As for the Oscars, this film will get a few nominations, but I doubt that it would become a strong contender. Though Leo's performance was not without its flaws, I thought it was more than enough to secure his leading actor nomination. Nods for best art direction, best cinematography and best score are also quite possible.

This film had the potential to become a masterpiece, but fell short of my expectations mainly due to the uneven script. While far from being one of his best, it is nevertheless a welcome addition to Eastwood's portfolio.